Your guide to the best tech of 2013 – the TVs, tablets and computers our experts love

Buying tech can be confusing but we’re helping you decide which of this year’s TVs, cameras and laptops are for you by compiling a few of those we love the most

Whether you want a new TV for catching the latest must-see
telly, a tablet for your train ride to work or a laptop for your -
well - lap, choosing new tech can be pretty daunting.

You may still wake in a cold sweat over that time you blew a
month's wages on a laserdisc player or a Sega Dreamcast, but from
today you can dismiss such fears with a hearty laugh. For we're
helping you decide which of this year's new TVs, cameras and
laptops are for you by compiling a few of those we love the most in
one handy guide.

That's right, we spent our weekend diligently listing our
favourite new products of 2013 - and with most of these now in
store you'll be able to spend your weekend taking a closer look at
them online or in our bricks and mortar branches.

But the F8500 takes things so much further than mere on-demand
viewing.
It can be controlled by talking to it, recommends shows it thinks
you'll like to watch and even upgrades itself with the latest
software from the comfort of your living room. And that's before
you've even talked about the picture - which packs 1920x1080p of
full HD into an ultra-slim, futuristic-looking 55-inch frame.

Choosing what to watch on TV is easy as apple pie with the F8500.
Its S-Recommendation technology searches live TV listings and
on-demand content to find shows based on what you've previously
watched.

In the same way your better half knows you inside out after
spending a few years together, S-Recommendation will know your
taste in TV like the back of its hand after a few months.

As well as knowing what you want to watch it also knows what you
want to do, or don't want to do - i.e. buy a new top-of-the-range
TV every year.

The guys at Samsung know what an investment a new TV is, and have
devised Smart Evolution technology to keep your new pride and joy
updated with the latest tech. That means the F8500 will upgrade
itself with the latest features from the comfort of your living
room.

James Parker, Assistant Category Manager for LSTVs at Currys PC
World, tells us why he loves the F8500, highlighting
S-Recommendation and voice interaction as favourite features.

"The exceptionally stunning design matches the incredible smart
performance that lets you discover more of the TV you love.
Built-in S-Recommendation technology with voice interaction
instantly searches live TV, video on demand and apps for TV and web
content suited to you."

Choosing between a tablet and a laptop can be difficult, but a new
generation of devices is easing the pain by combining the two in
one awesome package.

Called convertibles or hybrids, they work by converting from
laptop to tablet and back again. The HP Envy x2 is one such device,
and it has been racking up plaudits like Lady Gaga does number
ones.

A lot of this is to do with the cool way it morphs between
devices.

The screen lifts right off the keyboard to become a tablet,
meaning you can enjoy some 'me time' on the train home and leave
your work where it belongs after 5pm - on your office desk.

For Simon Boice, Computing Expert at Currys PC World, the HP
Envy is all about flexibility.

He said: "A laptop with a bright, vivid HD touch display and a
tablet that slides off for those times when you want less to
carry."

Another thing we love about the Envy x2 is a battery that seems to
go on and on and on. When a CNET reviewer road-tested the tablet
they enjoyed seven hours and 32 minutes of battery power - enough
to see you through your commute and a long, indulgent evening of
online shopping and social surfing. When the keyboard base was also
attached the battery extended to more than 10 hours.

The new Envy is also great for checking out Microsoft's Windows 8
- the revolutionary new operating system which blends regular
mouse-and-keyboard computing with tablet-style touchscreen
controls.

In Win8 your apps and programmes sit behind colourful tiles which
look like sweets; swipe your way through these on the Envy's
touchscreen, switching from work documents to showbiz gossip with
less effort than it takes to click your fingers. Some of these
tiles are live too, meaning they update with the latest news and
weather, and all the gossip from your social networks.

It's the time of year when our minds wander from work to white
beaches, from the bus stop to barbecued lamb and from a carry-out
from the off-licence to an exotic array or cocktails in a
sun-kissed bar.

That's right - we're all gearing up for our holidays (if we've not
already been). But what's a holiday without photos to remember it
by?
With the Samsung WB200F you can ensure every moment is
captured.

So why do we love it?

Its sharing nature is one of the main things seeing us swoon like
a smitten schoolgirl. Once you've taken your picture it can be
posted to your Facebook page directly from the camera - no leads,
laptops or plug adapters to contend with.

Pictures can also be sent your iPhone or tablet, while an app
allows you to take the photo from your phone - meaning you never
have to be the missing face in a picture again. After all, people
remember those in the shot rather than whoever was kind enough to
take it.

If you've been working out in the run up to hitting the beach
you'll pleased to know the camera's 18x zoom is capable of
rendering your toned abs in up-close-and-personal detail.

Alternatively if you'd rather capture the local landscapes than
yourself, the wide-angle lens will do a much better job of
depicting sweeping Tuscan panoramas than your half-baked
explanations on the sofa back home.
Mark Parrott, Category Manager for Imaging at Currys PC World,
said it was all about the sharing capabilities and impressive
zoom.

"Our Experts Love the Samsung WB200F for its SMART direct
hot key that allows you to share and email your photos to friends,
family or your social network sites plus its powerful 18x zoom to
get you even closer to the action."

If you like your laptop to be more slender than a catwalk model
then you're going to love the Acer Aspire S7.

It's very thin, it's very light - a real skinny latte of the
ultrabook world. With a brushed aluminium finish to add to slimness
it's the perfect accessory for business-folk who fancy themselves
as having a bit of style.

The S7 may be a thing of beauty to look at, but the guys at Acer
clearly know the importance of depth too. It has enough in the can
to stand up to the toughest of boardroom grillings from Lord Sugar
himself.

First, its 11.6-inch screen makes it perfect for those who end up
working on the go - whether that's a Virgin Atlantic flight to LA
for the high fliers among us or a table seat on the 07:30 to Kings
Cross.

With full fat Windows 8 built in, the Aspire should be able to
handle whatever task Lord Sugar throws at you - or at least those
urgent reports that needed to be done, like, yesterday. And with
the ultrabook-standard set-up of Intel Core i5-3317U and four GB of
memory you can bet your job those papers will be processed before
the close of play.

PCmag.com described it as a 'road warrior's ultrabook' but before
you start thinking of barbarians and car chases this is a slightly
cooler way of saying it's good for commuters and business
travellers.

So we're not the only ones picking up this Yuppie vibe. If you're
using the Aspire to work on the go you'll also be left feeling
pretty smug about its Windows 8 operating system. For as well as
the benefits of touchscreen computing for responding to emails on
crowded trains, there's also the cloud - no, not those things up in
the sky; the virtual cloud, which allows you to store your
documents online.

If you've saved your work on your Win8 desktop PC in the office
and need to get at it when you get home for some last minute
tweaks, you can find it in the cloud on the Aspire. A backlit
keyboard and smooth keys typing is a joy any time of the day -
taking the sting out of those begrudged late night report-writing
sessions for those days when the clock just seems to have it in for
you.

Simon Boice, Computing Expert at Currys PC World, praised the
Aspire S7's usability and said its blend of slender and tough build
is a winning combination for those who want tech that's as robust
as it is attractive.